1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural implements, and, more particularly, to a resilient bearing assembly used with a walking tandem axle on an agricultural implement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Farmers utilize a wide variety of tillage implements to prepare soil for planting. Some such implements include two or more sections coupled together to perform multiple functions as they are pulled through fields by a tractor. For example, a field cultivator is capable of simultaneously tilling soil and leveling the tilled soil in preparation for planting. A field cultivator has a frame that carries a number of cultivator shanks with shovels at their lower ends for tilling the soil. The field cultivator converts compacted soil into a level seedbed with a consistent depth for providing excellent conditions for planting of a crop. Grass or residual crop material disposed on top of the soil is also worked into the seedbed so that it does not interfere with a seeding implement subsequently passing through the seedbed. The depth of the implement is controlled by a system that uses wheels carried by a pivoting axle assembly.
The axle assembly may be in the form of a walking beam assembly, simply called a walking axle, or a walking tandem assembly. The walking tandem assembly includes two axles for wheels with a pivoting coupling located between the axles. The pivoting coupling is connected to a support structure of the implement, which transfers some of the weight of the implement to the wheels coupled to the axles.
The prior art pivoting couplings use tapered roller bearings, which require greasing and which have undesirable failure modes, such as, brinelling, contamination, and are subject to improper bearing setting.
What is needed in the art is a bearing assembly that can eliminate the need for tapered rolling bearings and their associated failure modes. And to make the assembly less prone to failure.